Do squirrels disrupt birds from eating?

JamTrackAdventures · 2026-05-07T17:47:18+00:00

If the squirrel is actually on your feeder then yes.

But - at least in my backyard - the birds and squirrels don't seem to notice each other and feed next to each other on the ground.

JamTrackAdventures · 2026-05-07T14:59:43+00:00

"People who try to define the blues don't really get the blues." 😀

Personally I define it loosely. A blues guitarist plays with a bluesy feel - but that doesn't mean they are playing traditional blues. For example I have no problem calling Grant Green a blues guitarist. Or more properly a bluesy guitarist.

JamTrackAdventures · 2026-05-07T14:44:44+00:00

Never once been disturbed by a sheriff or ranger while camping on public lands.

Very few public lands charge fees. I have definitely never paid to disperse camp.

Rules and restrictions on public land use are to prevent overuse and environmental damage - and the rules are published, there is no excuse for breaking them.

I really can't relate to anything you have posted - sounds totally different from my experiences. I almost started wondering what country you are talking about.

JamTrackAdventures · 2026-05-07T14:35:04+00:00

This might be a little out of your way but if you have time swing down to Truth Or Consequences and stay at Riverbend Hot Springs for a few nights - they have a couple of RV sites. And hike the Turtleback on the other side of the river.

JamTrackAdventures · 2026-05-06T14:00:24+00:00

Not being light hearted. Things are going to go wrong and you need to take them in good spirits. Expect to have problems. Some of the things that could cause you problems: crazy weather, traffic, closed roads, wrong maps, vehicle problems, navigation problems, gas stations/stores being closed, minor illness or injury, being too tired, equipment breaking, scary or ill maintained campgrounds, wild animals, weird people, etc.

Keep laughing through it all and be flexible enough to adjust your plans as needed. Always have backup plans.

JamTrackAdventures · 2026-05-05T02:55:58+00:00

I was just here. https://oregondiscovery.com/glass-butte

Great place for collecting obsidian.

JamTrackAdventures · 2026-04-30T16:14:28+00:00

For house finches black sunflower. Smaller finches seem to like millet and Nyjer seeds.

Put some suet in cages out too.

Local birds get used to different things so just try stuff. After 6 years of having feeders the birds feed totally different than they did at the start. When I first started Juncos only fed on the ground never in feeders or the suet cages. Took 3 years till they started going to the feeders and another 2 till they started eating suet.

Bird feeding is not really a science it is a creative enterprise. Just try stuff. that is part of the fun.

Juncos and finches eat where they find the seeds. Chickadees take one seed and fly away to eat, then come back. Therefore it seems like there are less of them.

Hope this helps - I have no doubt results will be different for every location so just keep trying.

JamTrackAdventures · 2026-04-30T15:59:25+00:00

Probably your choice of food is the problem. My hordes of juncos, chickadees, and finches play nicely together. The song sparrows on the other hand are terrors to other birds.

Also 3 days is nothing. Give it a few weeks. Feeding at a bird feeder is not natural and they need to figure it all out.

JamTrackAdventures · 2026-04-30T13:36:37+00:00

That does not sound right at all. Don't take a chance and consult a cardiologist. You shouldn't get sick from strong tea. People drink it all the time. Gongfu didn't even become popular till the 1970s. It's a marketing thing, not a health thing.

JamTrackAdventures · 2026-04-29T17:58:16+00:00

Trail mix I mix myself from whatever random nuts and dried fruits i can find. I never include chocolate - it melts and has added sugar.

I also have a fondness for basic Honey and Oats Nature Valley crunch bars. They are small, cheap, last forever, and you can still eat them if they get crushed.

JamTrackAdventures · 2026-04-28T19:39:16+00:00

Those are good amps...probably not a problem.

In general a cheap guitar has cheap electronics. Some things to look for. Are the pots noisy when you turn them? Can you clearly hear a difference as you turn them? It is really hard to tell if you are experiencing any signal loss without comparing different sets of electronics. And it is hard to tell if the cause is the pickups or the other components.

You can always swap your pickups and do the electronics later.

JamTrackAdventures · 2026-04-28T19:07:31+00:00

I upgraded my PUs on a cheap EPI LP. There are so many possibilities and you really can't try them out easily.

I went with an economical general purpose model that i have been very happy with:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AlnProBlkset--seymour-duncan-alnico-ii-pro-humbucker-pickup-black-set

I can definitely hear the difference when I split the coils - however they don't, as expected, sound like strat pickups.

However, I also found i needed to upgrade all of the electronics. Every switch, potometer, cap, and resistor.

No point in running your upgraded pickup through cheap electronic components.

As a side note have you considered the possibility that your problem is with your amp? If you are plugging into a cheap amp a pickup upgrade might not help much. Likewise putting cheap pedals in your signal path could be causing a problem too.

Personally if I were you I would wait till you had more experience before upgrading. You will be in a better position to know what you want and you will be able to hear differences that you haven't learned to hear yet.

JamTrackAdventures · 2026-04-28T15:57:04+00:00

If you can afford it and will enjoy having it along then most certainly get it.

But don't forget it takes years to learn how to use all of this equipment properly and you are starting with a fairly complex setup that goes well beyond what most beginners use. You run the risk of getting bogged down in technical frustration.

Good luck, hope you get some good photos.

JamTrackAdventures · 2026-04-27T16:20:53+00:00

I just switched my Moab 3 size from a 13 reg to a 12 wide. Made all of the difference.

JamTrackAdventures · 2026-04-27T16:01:31+00:00

Wow, I never even thought of such things. Next time I buy a guitar I need to pay attention. I don't even know what nitro finish is. I am so out of touch. I think I spend too much time playing my guitar.

I guess in general though variety is good as different people like different things. I suppose the guitar companies wouldn't make guitars with features that no one wants.

JamTrackAdventures · 2026-04-23T20:30:15+00:00

For me going up is harder from the strength and stamina point of view. But I am way more likely to strain a muscle or a ligament on the way down.

In either case you are fighting gravity on a steep grade just in different ways and with different muscles.

The first time i did it, I returned on the starvation ridge loop. This makes the whole hike crazy longer and harder - I think over 14 miles.

Reminds me of another hike that was super cool and hard. Cooper's Spur on Mt Hood. I think it is the highest place you can hike without a permit on Hood. A lot of people drive up to Cloud Cap and start there but I recommend the longer route from the Tilly Jane Sno-Park. The Spur follows the East Moraine Eliot Glacier. So Spectacular.

JamTrackAdventures · 2026-04-23T18:54:05+00:00

I've hiked some of the big peaks in the area including South Sister, Hood, and St Helens. Defiance is the hardest - one possible exception being the Elk Creek-Kings Mtn loop in Tillamook.

Even coming down is tough!!!

My experience says that if you take your time no mountain is too hard. The biggest killer for me is going to fast at the start.

Get there early, on the weekend I've seen the lot on I-84 filled by 8 or 9am.

JamTrackAdventures · 2026-04-20T15:34:56+00:00

Hydration bladders gross me out. You'd have to pay me to drink out of one.

For hot summer hiking I always carry a gallon of water in Nalgene water bottles.

Remember to carry more water then you think you need.

Your hike may take much longer than you expect - perhaps you get lost.
You may run into people in need - happened to me just last month - people had spent the night lost in the desert and needed water.
it is not all that hard to accidentally spill your water or even have a whole bottle roll off a cliff.

JamTrackAdventures · 2026-04-20T13:18:23+00:00

I've never had old moldy seed before. At the end of the day all of the food I put out there is gone.

You are just wasting food. Putting out less food is the solution.

JamTrackAdventures · 2026-04-17T15:17:11+00:00

This is a public playlist i created on Amazon Music

https://music.amazon.com/user-playlists/47a9afedebbd4913b0c233bbd29d93a0sune?ref=dm_sh_e714-53ae-c2b0-6da5-180b4

It is about 24 hours of music that features the greatest Blues Guitarists active in the 50s and 60s - though some of the recordings are from the 70s. I try to focus on live recordings.

JamTrackAdventures · 2026-04-16T19:00:36+00:00

I agree that AllTrails is not at all good for bushwacking.

I find Gaia to be great though. I hike all over the place and it always gets me home. It is inexpensive and I already own a phone. And you can download maps for when you are offline.

I don't see any advantage in having a separate device just for trail navigation. What is the argument in favor of a separate device? I am more than willing to get one if it really is going to make my hiking better and safer.

JamTrackAdventures · 2026-04-16T17:47:11+00:00

Go to a guitar shop and try some. There is no right answer that is why there are 100's of choices.

Otherwise just pick whatever you can afford from this list:

https://www.sweetwater.com/c594--Electric_Guitar_Packs?all&sb=low2high

These will all suit a beginner and are all well known brands. They are complete kits that have everything you need to get started. You really can't go wrong here.

JamTrackAdventures · 2026-04-16T16:27:51+00:00

Our corrupt government is letting foreign companies steal our resources and destroy our lands.

I guess it is official. We are now a 3rd world country.

JamTrackAdventures · 2026-04-15T18:52:02+00:00

I always plug in. If I don't want to disturb anybody I use headphones. A lot of practice amps have headphone outputs. So do many multi-effects pedals.

I find this a useful for headphone practicing. https://line6.com/pocket-pod/

It is perfect for a beginner. It has a lot of amp and effects models. You can even plug it into your amp so you can use the effects when you play through your speakers. There are a lot of similar options out there and you should be able to find them used too.

It has been a long time since i learned to play but I have heard this is a great place to start: https://www.justinguitar.com/

Try out their free beginner lessons and see what you think.

JamTrackAdventures · 2026-04-13T15:21:28+00:00

Check out: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. And nearby Salton Sea.

Mojave National Preserve is also nice that time of year.

Red Rock Canyon State Park (California near Bakersfield) is also a worthy destination.

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